Best Rigatoni Pasta Pie Martha Stewart Recipes

ITALIAN RIGATONI PIE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente (13 minutes for my pasta). Drain the pasta, rinse in cold water and drain again. Stir in 1 tbsp of the olive oil and set aside. (This keeps the pasta from sticking.).
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan. Add the beef, pork and veal to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook the meat until it is no longer pink. Drain the meat and return it to the pan (draining is optional). Stir in the crushed tomatoes, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, basil, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Gently stir the finely grated Parmesan cheese into the cooked rigatoni. Stand the rigatoni up vertically in a greased springform pan. You should use the entire pound of the cooked pasta for this.
• Gently spread the ricotta cheese on top of the rigatoni in a thin, even layer.
• Carefully pour the meat sauce over all. This is the most time-consuming part. With clean hands, use your fingers to carefully push the meat sauce down into the rigatoni. As you push the meat sauce down, you will also push the ricotta cheese into the rigatoni, which will help keep this dish from being dry. The more time you spend on this step, the better results you will obtain - allow your obsessive-compulsiveness to shine! I spent about 8 minutes on this step.
• Set the springform pan on a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven. Sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheese evenly over all. Return the pie to the oven and cook for 15 minutes longer.
• Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to stand in the sprinform pan for at least 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the pie from the pan. Remove the sides of the sprinform pan.
• Slice the pie and garnish with parsley, if desired.
• HELPFUL TIPS: Use the rigatoni that is approximately 1 inch long. Make sure you freshly grate your Parmesan cheese because the pasta will not stick together if you use the grated cheese from a green can. Also, as mentioned above, allow your obsessive compulsiveness to shine while pushing the meat sauce down through the rigatoni. The more time you spend on this, the better results you will obtain.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in top third. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss squash, tomatoes, sausage, and shallots with oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until squash is golden and sausage is cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer sausage to a cutting board; let cool slightly, then slice into 1-inch pieces.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup water. Return pasta to pot with sausage, squash, and basil. Add 1/2 cup pasta water to sheet and scrape up browned bits; add to pot. Toss to coat, adding more pasta water as needed; season with salt and pepper. Set oven to broil and transfer pasta mixture to sheet. Top with cheese; broil until melted and browned in spots, 2 minutes. Top with basil leaves; serve.

RIGATONI PIE

Steps:

• Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it begins to sizzle, cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft and just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chile flakes, then add the tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups water. Increase the heat to high and bring the tomato sauce to a boil, crushing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce cool for 10 minutes then puree in a blender until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it is slightly less than al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Stand the rigatoni on their ends in the prepared pan until it is completely filled (you might not use all the pasta). Place the pan on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch drips. Pour the sauce over the noodles, spreading it with the back of a spoon (You might not use all the sauce.) Sprinkle the pasta with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
• Cover the pan with foil, doming it slightly to avoid touching the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue cooking until the top is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes more. Let the pasta cool for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan, cut into wedges and serve.

BAKED ZITI WITH GROUND BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add pasta; cook until slightly underdone. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon oil to coat. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end.
• Spread 2 cups meat sauce on top of pasta, pushing it into holes. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake until cheese is pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from oven, and let stand 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen; unmold. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce.

RIGATONI WITH CAULIFLOWER, SAFFRON, AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Cover raisins with warm water in a bowl. Cook garlic and oil in a skillet over medium-low heat until garlic begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add pepper flakes, anchovies, capers, saffron, and stock. Stir, cook until combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and raisins; season with salt and black pepper. Cook, covered, 10 to 12 minutes, until cauliflower is tender. Uncover; let liquid reduce slightly over high heat, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook rigatoni in salted boiling water until just tender. Drain; toss into warm cauliflower mixture. Just before serving, tear basil leaves, and toss into pasta along with pine nuts.

BAKED ZITI WITH SAUSAGE AND BECHAMEL

Steps:

• Transfer whole peeled tomatoes (with their juices) to a large bowl and squeeze with your hands to break up; set aside. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until browned in places and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add reserved crushed tomatoes to pot along with can of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water (pour water into sauce can and swirl to catch any left inside). Season generously with salt and pepper; let simmer until flavors meld, skimming fat as needed, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water about 5 minutes less than package instructions (so it still has some bite in the center and won't overcook in the oven). Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain and rinse noodles under cool water to stop cooking.
• In now-empty pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until combined and lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until consistency is like slightly thickened cream, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup Parmigiano. Press plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• In a large bowl, toss pasta with 3 cups tomato sauce, 1/2 cup Parmigiano, 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (or up to 1 cup, if sauce is very thick), and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread half of bechamel in the bottom of a 3-to-3 1/2-quart baking dish. Top with half of pasta mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, half of mozzarella, and 1/2 cup Parmigiano. Layer with remaining pasta and 1 cup tomato sauce.
• Spoon the last of the bechamel evenly on top, followed by remaining mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmigiano; top with a few spoons of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with more Parmigiano. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment (to catch spills).
• Bake, uncovered, until browned in places and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes, top with more basil leaves, and serve.

RICOTTA-STUFFED RIGATONI PIE WITH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• For the meat sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat into smaller pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens to a brick red, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a high simmer, then adjust to a low simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes. (You can make and cool the sauce the day before. Reheat before using the next day.)
• For the pasta: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Cook the pasta until slightly less than al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and toss with the remaining tablespoon oil, then spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Spread 1/4 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan. Stand the rigatoni on their ends in the pan until it is completely filled.
• For the ricotta filling: Stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag, snip off just enough of the tip to make a small opening and pipe into each rigatoni tube. Pipe small mounds of any leftover ricotta mixture on top of the pasta and spread out into a thin layer. (You can cook and fill the pasta the day before.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the filled springform pan on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch drips. Pour 2 cups of the meat sauce over the pasta, spreading it with the back of a spoon so that it drips in between the noodles. Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Cover the pan with foil, doming it slightly to avoid touching the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue cooking until the top is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes more. Let the pasta cool for 45 minutes (do not skip this part or your noodles will fall apart when serving!). Sprinkle with parsley, if using, then carefully remove the sides of the pan. Cut the pie into wedges and serve with the reserved meat sauce on the side.